We Recommend: Desert Island Discs

The long running BBC Radio 4 program, Desert Island Discs, is quintessentially British and very enjoyable.  Running off and on (mostly on) since 1942, and currently hosted by Kirsty Young, each show features a notable guest, or 'castaway', who's asked which eight recordings, one book, and one luxury item they would take to a deserted island.  Everyone from Gloria Steinem, to Elton John, to Richard Attenborough, to Margaret Thatcher has appeared on the show over the years.  It's a unique format, one that reveals layers of the guest's personality, personal history, and sense of humor quite differently than any other interview style does.  We love finding some favorite celebrities' programs, all available in Apple's podcast app, iTunes, or the BBC archives, for a road trip or long commute.  Each episode is a fascinating glimpse into the subject's psyche, and provides new favorite songs to download.

Keith Richards with host Kirsty Young

We Recommend: Popson's

We love the cozy Marina restaurant Causwells, and while their menu is varied and full of delicious items, their Americana Burger has always been a standout - we are thrilled that the owners finally have a separate restaurant dedicated to it.  Popson's recently opened in SOMA, and one of the big perks of heading down there is that you can now order a side of fries alongside your burger, as Causwells only serves theirs with crispy onions.  The menu is simple and straightforward:  Burgers, chili, salad, and fries.  You can never go wrong with the classic cheeseburger.

A second location is already coming this month.  You can find out more details here.

We Recommend: Handsome Carver's Flavored Peanut Butter

During a recent visit to the Farmer's Market, we discovered the delicious flavored peanut butters by Handsome Carver.  Available online or in select Bay Area locations, these nut butters are made locally in Marin County, and are flavored with a variety of both familiar and unusual ingredients.  As huge fans of the PBJ, we always love finding a more sophisticated form of the old school peanut butter, and we love Carver's cashew-coconut, almond-vanilla, and peanut-coffee-chocolate flavors.  Right now though, we are sticking to the very seasonal pumpkin pie version. With notes of ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon, this is a perfect healthy treat.

Learn more about the brand here.

We Recommend: The Illustrations of Monica Ramos

We are addicted to Pinterest, in case you didn't already know, and have recently found ourselves stumbling across the same amazing illustrator again and again. Upon closer examination, we discovered it was the work of Monica Ramos, an artist originally from Manila, who graduated from Parson's and lives in New York. Her illustrations are playful and have the most beautiful color palates. We want to frame them all.

You can view more of her work here.

We Recommend: M. Gemi

We first heard about the Italian shoe site and line of the same name, M. Gemi, when a friend recommended their app.  Since then, we have looked forward to seeing their weekly shoe style releases; every Wednesday there are new pairs of heels, flats, or sandals, all in a limited edition, and offered in a variety of versatile colors.  The shoes are exceptionally well made in Italy, and while not inexpensive, are competitively priced for the quality.  Our first pair are the ultra classic Pastosos (shown above) in a wear-with-all clay color, and the fit and comfort are excellent.  We almost didn't want to wear them outside, simply because they're so beautiful.  We are now scouting the M. Gemi site for our next style - if only we could buy them all!

Some of our favorites:

The Nebbia

The Tuta

The Cammeo

The Filo

We Recommend: Gordo Taqueria's Mission Burrito

One of our favorite Mission Burritos in San Francisco actually exists outside of the Mission itself.  With locations in the Outer Richmond, Inner Sunset, and Berkeley, Gordo Taqueria consistently delivers one of the best burritos we have ever had.  Their burritos are so on point, that they actually inspired the NYC-based chain Dos Toros (which we also highly recommend).  All of the locations are extremely casual, and we generally get the food to go, but the flavors are consistent and the portions huge... We always get our burritos Super, with cheese lightly melted in the steamed tortilla, then filled with beans, rice, fresh pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, and hot sauce - meat is optional.  Expect to leave satisfied and full for the rest of the day...

The money shot

SF Locations: 

Outer Richmond 

2252 Clement St 

San Francisco 94121

Inner Sunset

1239 9th Ave

San Francisco, CA 94122

The interior of the recently renovated Outer Richmond location

We Recommend: Sockerbit

We've always been big fans of gummy candies, so when we stumbled upon Sokerbit on West 3rd St. in LA, we were in heaven. The store features all sorts of Scandinavian sweets - and they are all made without trans fats, artificial color, and GMOs. From marshmallow to sour to chocolate covered, there's something for everyone. And because you scoop it yourself, you can try them all.

Here are some of our favorites: lips, hearts, vampire teeth, raspberries, and chocolate marshmallow bears.

For more information, visit their website.

Foodie Favorite: The Pasta at Farina

San Francisco's Farina is an airy, light filled space in a prime part of the Mission - just around the corner from Tartine, and a couple of blocks from Dolores Park.  It's an elegant restaurant for the neighborhood, but still has a very local charm - NorCal meets Northern Italy.  We love their wine list and they have great starters, but we keep going back for their pastas.  The menu changes regularly, but it's always a good day when their incredible Mandilli di seta al pesto Ligure di mandorle is available.  The Mandilli is a handmade handkerchief pasta, covered in a generous green coating of basil and almond pesto - one of us is not a fan of pinenuts, used in most pesto we see in the U.S., and was completely won over by this dish.  We would also highly recommend Farina's Pasta ripiena alla norma.  Another handmade pasta, this dish is similar to a ravioli, filled with a delicious eggplant mousse, covered in a tomato-basil sauce, and topped with shaved ricotta salata.

Mandilli di seta al pesto Ligure di mandorle

Pasta ripiena alla norma

You can learn more about the restaurant here.

Coachella Kick Off!

This weekend kicks off two weeks of the Coachella Music Festival near Palm Springs.  We sadly had to cancel our trip to the desert festival this year, but we wanted to share some of the parties and places we would be going to were we able to make it.

The Do Over at the Ace Hotel - This long time LA party event has toured around the country before, and now it partners with the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs for Desert Gold Weekend

The DFM House - Hosted by the creative agency of the same name, this house is hosting pool parties over the festival's first weekend.  The exact location is undisclosed, but Rachel Zoe & Dolce Vita are hosting the Saturday party and Sabo Skirt will cover hosting duties on Sunday

LED Dayclub - Sometimes you just want to listen to music by a pool and sip a few cocktails... This is that party, and it's going on both weekends

Zero Gravity - If you are camping at Coachella, or staying at a hotel without a fun bar scene, you may want to check out this after hours option

The Living Desert - If you need a break from all of the music and parties, head to Palm Desert's zoo and spend some contemplative time visiting the animals or wandering through the botanical garden

Palm Springs Art Museum - Another quiet spot, this museum has the added benefit of air conditioning... They have some great modern art in their permanent collection, as well as an Ai Weiwei exhibit running through May

Tyler's Burgers - Nothing is better for a hangover than a big, juicy burger and fries - plus we love the name of this popular Palm Springs spot

King's Highway - This place is sure to be slammed since it's at the Ace Hotel, but they have a date shake, avocado toast AND fried chicken, so it's gotta be worth the wait

And of course, you can't forget the ever important festival fashion... If you forgot to pack anything, Revolve has you covered.

Happy Coachella!

We Recommend: Marine Layer

 We can't believe it's been five years since San Francisco-based tee shirt company Marine Layer opened its first brick & mortar store.  Since then, they've expanded to include a number of other clothing items, and further expanded their physical stores in SF, as well as down to Silicon Valley and SoCal, and out of state to Portland, NYC, and soon Seattle.  We love their super soft, small batch cotton clothing, and that they still maintain a workshop on California Street and keep all of their production in our state.  The pieces are ultra cozy, come in styles for men and women, and are of great quality for the price point.  They're not as inexpensive as some companies, but we like that they're an investment in the local economy, and that they're great California-casual pieces to mix and match - or to wear all day on a loungy, lazy weekend.

Muscle Tank

Pineapple Sherpa Sweatshirt

Contrast Boucle Dress

Camping Scene Tee

The Prescott Woven

Cloud Sherpa Jogger Pants

 You can read more about the brand, and see all of their styles here.

Foodie Favorite: The Commissary at The Line Hotel

Located in Koreatown, The Commissary is our favorite of the three restaurants in The Line Hotel. Heading out towards the pool on the second floor, this eatery is housed in a greenhouse. The decor is very eclectic, with multiple varieties of plants, mismatched silverware, and many different styles of cloth napkins. There are a variety of seating options from the bar, to small tables that can accommodate four, to family style tables able to accommodate large groups.

The menu consists entirely of pictures of main seasonal ingredients, and the waiters explain what the dishes are for whichever item interests you. The drink menu has a variety of cocktails served in recycled containers, and also offers fresh juice (that you can spike).

The roasted carrots were our favorite. They had a rich, meaty flavor.

A light, tasty salad.

Followed by a giant tasty burger.

More information on their website here. 

For a reservation call 213.381.7411 or book through Open Table.